Member Report from Egypt
REPORT FROM THE 2019 WAHO CONFERENCE:
Khaled Osman, Egypt: Mr. President, Dear Executive Committee Members, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. My name is Khaled Osman, Chairman of the Egyptian Agricultural Organization since five months. I am here as a representative of El Zahraa Stud, EAO, Egypt. I am so pleased and honoured to be with you today to present Egypt’s report as regard to El Zahraa Arab Horse Stud.
Dear members, I would like first to express my sorrow that our stud book volumes number 12 and 13 have not been issued yet. Fortunately, we very lately could send the draft of volume 12 to the WAHO office, while I was preparing to attend this meeting. Anyway, I would like you to give us a little excuse for that dereliction of duty that I admit. On the other hand, I promise that we will give a special concern to finish volume 13 very soon, upon my return.
Going to our report, the total number of DNA-typed progenies in 2016 was 1,748 horses. The number in 2017 was 1,783 horses. The corresponding number until the end of December 2018 was 1,217 horses. The number of registered horses belonging to El Zahraa Stud Farm until the end of 2018 was 419 horses. The corresponding number on the side of the private Stud farms was 15,693 registered horses.
In November 2016 a memorandum of understanding between EAO, the Animal Health Research Institute and WAHO was signed. It involved an agreement between the three institutions to finish the remaining DNA samples by June 2017. At that time, the EAO has received a letter from WAHO President expressing his satisfaction about the results of this memorandum. He also revealed his trust of Egypt’s ability to keep up the horse registry work.
I would like also to refer to the annual big event of EAO, “The Horse Beauty Show”, held at El Zahraa Stud Farm in November of each year. The show involves a National and an International championship with two consecutive days each. According to the observers and participants of the show, we are proud that the last version of this event in November 2018 was greatly successful. The unprecedented number of participating horses was one of the main features of the event, indeed, we are so glad to see this important event increasingly developing year after year.
Ladies and gentlemen, the EAO through the El Zahraa Stud Farm gives the utmost concern to keeping and preserving the purity and authenticity of the Arabian and straight Egyptian horses. On this trail, strict breeding programmes are ordinarily implemented on the farm. In addition, the EAO has recently signed a co-operation protocol with the Animal Reproduction Research Institute to set up a germ-plasma bank for preserving genetically elite equine oocytes and spermatozoa. Expectedly, this could effectively contribute to maintaining the foundation required for maintaining the genetic resources of Arabian and Straight Egyptian horses.
The importation and exportation movement of horses during the last 3 years was as follows:- During the year 2016 the number of imported horses was 172 and the number of exported horses was 3; in 2017 the number of imported horses was 167 and the number of exported horses was 54; during 2018 the number of imported horses was 93 and the exported ones was 31.
Finally, I would like to mention that the last WAHO Trophy was awarded to Heba El Bourini in 2015. She is the daughter of Shamel Saqr and Shahd Al Salmaniya and was born on 1st January 2013. The prize was withheld during the last three years. Thank you very much and thank you for your fruitful support to EAO and El Zahraa Stud.
REPORT AT 2017 WAHO CONFERENCE:
Ali Shaarawi, Egypt: Dear members of the Executive Committee, Delegates, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Ali Shaarawi and I am representing Mr. Sami Abdelhameed, the newly appointed Chairman of the EAO, who was not able to attend this Conference. I am pleased to present the report on his behalf for the Egyptian Agricultural Organisation (EAO) and El Zahraa Stud Farm. First, I would like to thank His Majesty Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa also the Royal Stables of Bahrain for the generous welcome and for hosting this Conference.
As I am sure you all know the EAO was one of the founder members of WAHO and remains responsible for the registry and for the stud books. I am pleased to inform you that we have already issued our studbook volume 11 which was distributed to all WAHO authorised registries. Our next volumes number 12 and 13 are nearly completed. These will cover the period between 2008 and 2011 inclusive, we hope to have these volumes finished and distributed within the next few months and we will then start work on volume 14 to bring the studbooks up to date. The average number of horses located at El Zahraa State Stud are around 422 horses. There has been a considerable increase in the number of private owned stud farms in Egypt over the last 20 years, of which there are several hundred and it is estimated there are about 10,000 horses living in Egypt, registered and living in Egypt now, distributed between these farms.
In the year 2015 a total of 1,185 foals were registered, of course the majority of these being bred by private farms. In 2016 the number of foals registered was 1,100 foals. All are parentage verified by DNA before registration. In principle, we allow the use of Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer techniques, however, embryo transfer is limited to two foals per mare per year. In 2013, 117 horses were imported and 149 horses were exported. In 2014, 69 horses were imported and 68 were exported. In 2015, 106 horses were imported 21 were exported and in 2016, 187 were imported.
The EAO Stud Farm and El Zahraa Stud Farm aims to help the private owners and breeders through providing veterinary care. In the last year EAO also organised educational seminars and training courses about horse wellbeing and breeding, culture and values. The EAO also organises a major international horse show each November at El Zahraa Stud and a large number of horses participate in this event. The show takes place over 4 days and is divided into National and International shows. The International show attracts both domestic and imported horses as well as entries from other countries that come specially to compete in this event. There is always an active programme of racing for our Arab horses in Egypt and our horses are of course also used for general pleasure rides as well. The Egyptian Agricultural Society through El Zahraa stud farm aims to preserve the straight Egyptian horses, we are very keen and dedicated to breed these horses to their best so that we can help to maintain the foundation that has influenced Arab horses all over the world.
Finally, the WAHO trophy was given in 2015 to the filly Heba El Bourini born in 2013 by Shamel Saqr out of Shahd Al Salmaniya. Thank you for your attention.
REPORT AT 2014 WAHO CONFERENCE:
Dr. Salah El Deen Helal, Egypt: (spoken in Arabic, translation not recorded, transcript taken from English translation provided as text). Dear Mr. President, Members of the Executive committee, ladies and gentlemen, I am here on behalf of El-Zahraa Stud- EAO, Egypt. My name is Dr. Salah El Deen Helal, I am the Chairman of the EAO, and my co-delegate is Mr. Nasr Marei. I am pleased and honoured to present Egypt’s report related to El-Zahraa Stud.
I would like to emphasize that we have issued our stud book volume Number 11 which was distributed to all registered authorities, and our next volume number 12 is still in progress. This new volume will cover the period between 2008 and 2011. The numbers of progeny that have been DNA typed and have been registered in 2013 reached 1296 horses. In 2014, the number of horses registered until August 2014 is 680 horses.
The number of registered horses at El-Zahraa Stud farm is around 403 horses whereas in private stud farms there is now a total of around 8,000 horses. El-Zahraa stud farm helps those private farms through providing veterinary care and services.
In principle, Egypt allows the usage of artificial insemination and embryo transfer techniques. However, embryo transfer is limited to two progeny per mare a year. The statistics of import and export of horses is as follows: In 2011, we have exported 200 horses and imported 136 horses; in 2012, 143 horses were exported and 102 others were imported; in 2013, 149 horses were exported and there were 117 horses imported; and in 2014, 69 horses were imported and there were 68 exported.
El-Zahraa stud farm organizes annually a horse show in November where a large number of horses participate in this event. The show takes place for four days and is divided into a National Show for horses bred in Egypt and an International show where any horse can compete. We have horses bred abroad and other horses participating from other countries that come to compete in this event.
We have a special prize which is the WAHO Trophy, which we have awarded several times in past years.
The EAO through El-Zahraa stud farm aims to preserve the breeding of the authenticity of its straight Egyptian horses. We are very keen and dedicated to the purity of the straight Egyptian horses so that we can help to maintain the foundation that has been influential in developing all other horses and breeds. During the last few years, there have been some registry minor issues but they have all been resolved by communication and consultation with WAHO which has offered the needed support. Many thanks.
REPORT AT 2011 WAHO CONFERENCE:
Dr. Khalil Soliman, Egypt: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen. I am Dr. Khalil Soliman on behalf of El Zahraa Stud, E.A.O., Egypt. My co-delegate is Dr. Mohammad Hashim El Deeb, Chairman of the EAO. I am pleased to present Egypt’s report.
The pure Arabian horse has a unique place in human life as it is one of the oldest breeds of horse, so pure Arabian horses are always in the centre of the world’s attention. Honestly, it is very rare to find a breed of horse in any part of the world which does not have Arabian blood. The Egyptian Agricultural Organization (E.A.O.) is considered worldwide as a valuable example of an Organization which has safe-guarded the purebred Arabian horse over the years in Egypt. The E.A.O. enjoys a history of 103 years which has a proven and satisfying past and a promising future, and is also doing its best to keep pace with technological developments and take its place in the modern era and is following the latest scientific methods of identification by microchip and issuing passports for El-Zahraa horses and for the other privately-bred horses subject to its supervision. On our track to keep up with the most recent developments in the field of breeding pure Arabian horses, our Organization is currently examining ways of applying the techniques of artificial insemination and the establishment of a unit for collecting and freezing semen, and also the establishing of a laboratory for analysis of DNA for all the Arabian horses in Egypt. We are also following the latest methods of embryo transfer for the preservation of the rarer strains which may risk extinction.
It is worth mentioning here that while there are 5,700 purebred Arabian horses registered in Egypt, the total number of horses in the El-Zahraa stud is 458. The number of private studs founded under supervision of the E.A.O. has now reached 526 farms all over Egypt. The E.A.O. plays a very important role in caring, supporting and guiding those farms by providing veterinary care and services from El-Zahraa stud’s veterinarian team, as well as by encouraging the visits of foreign experts to train and develop staff skills and improve our human resources. The Egyptian Agricultural Organization also has a strong position in the export market as it sends pure Arabian horses to many countries such as the Middle East and European countries, as well as South Africa. El-Zahraa Stud preserves all the original strains such as Obayan; Hadban; Dahman; Saqlawy and Kehilan. Experts confirm the improvement of the production year after year, and the stud provides the horse market with approximately 123 horses through an annual auction sale of surplus production of El-Zahraa Arabian horses for Egyptian and foreign breeders.
And also the E.A.O. holds an international show each year with the participation of horses from Egypt and other countries under ECAHO regulations. And also we have a private breeders’ organization which holds two shows every year in Egypt. Thank you very much.
REPORT MADE AT 2009 WAHO CONFERENCE:
I am Ahmed Hamza, Chairman of the Board of the Egyptian Agricultural Organization, EAO, representing Egypt, with my co-delegate Dr. Ibrahim Zaghloul, Arab Horse Consultant of El Zahraa Stud. The EAO supervises El Zahraa Arab Horse Stud and 366 private Arabian horse stud farms, covering all of Egypt, with the sum of about 6,000 horses.
In the year 2008 we registered 950 foals. Our current stud book Volume 10, covering 2000-2003 is already out and printed, Volume 11 covering 2004-2007 is under print. The number of horses in private studs increases yearly, as we have new breeders. Through the year 2008 69 Arabians were imported, and 177 were exported. We still freeze-brand our horses, we do not microchip. As for identification, we use DNA-typing, all breeding horses are DNA typed and all foals are parent verified with DNA at first registration. We do not allow Embryo Transfer. Artificial Insemination is only allowed with fresh semen, no frozen semen is allowed.
Our horse activities per year comprise National and International Shows twice per year, run by the EAO and the Egyptian Arabian Horse Association. We have flat races twice weekly all year round, organized by the Jockey Club. We have four endurance rides per year, run by the Riding Union of Egypt. We have Egyptian dressage competitions, that is dancing horses with Egyptian music, with high prizes, this year the first prize was a car organized by the EAO and the Egyptian Arabian Horse Association.
The WAHO Trophy was offered to the horse with the highest score at the National Show, gaining 93% in 2008 at El Zahraa Stud, and it was awarded to the stallion Kenz Noor, 8 years old. The Trophy is sought after and has positive benefits that the Egyptian breeders are very enthusiastic about. Meetings, seminars and lectures on Arabian horse history, care and breeding and on horse health, are held at El Zahraa Stud by EAO staff and professors from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. We also have a lot of other activities, encouraging breeders and trying to show them all the different and technical aspects concerning horses. Thank you very much.
REPORT MADE AT 2007 WAHO CONFERENCE:
The EAO is the official Registry in Egypt, supervising El Zahraa Arab Horse Stud and more than 300 private studs.
700 Arabian foals were registered in the year 2005 and about 895 broodmares and about 60 active breeding stallions. In 2006 the figures increased and we had 800 Arabian foals, about 1,000 broodmares and about 70 active breeding stallions. The estimated number of living Arabians is 4,500. The increase in the number of foals is due to the increase in the number of breeders in Egypt. We use DNA and parent verification of foals before registration.
In 2006 we exported 51 horses to Germany, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates. Also 98 Arabians were imported from Germany and USA and Kuwait.
We use our horses for breeding, shows, jumping, racing, dressage and endurance. We have 3 horse shows annually. The number of Arabian races is twice per week throughout the year. The number of endurance rides is 4. There has been a great promotion of Arabians due to using stallions coming from abroad, having Egyptian origin. There has been a rise in the number of registrations, and of imports and exports, and of ownership transfers over the past 5 years, due to the increase of purebred Arabian horse breeders in Egypt.
EAO and the private breeders currently hold seminars to educate the public on the history, care and uses of purebred Arabian horses which are proving beneficial. Finally, our current Arabian stud book is volume 10 and volume 11 is at its final stages of preparation.
In 2007, Egypt reported 967 foals registered, which is a considerable increase since 2006 and previous years. Egypt also reported 150 exported horses, together with 72 imports.
